


Love

by Joet



Category: Amar a Muerte (TV), Juliantina - Fandom
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-26
Updated: 2019-10-26
Packaged: 2021-01-03 21:53:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21186569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joet/pseuds/Joet
Summary: What is Love?





	Love

What is Love? Is it a feeling; is it pain; is it a space; a practice of “give and take”; is it laying down your life for someone else; was it an obligation?  
For Juliana, Love was tiptoeing on rose thorns so that your drunk father wrestled “peacefully“ with his demons. It was also pain in form of devotion to a man that only knew how to bruise. Love was tainted, as her mother spoke of it in regards to her father. She always said he was a good man, just broken by the world. It didn’t make sense, because wasn’t love supposed to heal? Doesn’t love make you better? Inspire you to be a better version of yourself? Then why was her father broken, and seemingly a worse version of himself each new day. And why did her mother awake bruised, too sore to hug her. Her mother’s often suffocating hugs had overtime become her understanding of love. Because in those moments she felt her mother needed her, either for strength or as a reminder that they were still alive despite their circumstances. Circumstances that led them to Mexico City, returning to her mother’s homeland after years in Texas. The absence of her father made the experience lighter and city lights brighter. Maybe she didn’t have much to compare it to, life in the trailer park can only be described as drudgery. But here they were, in a city, supposedly miles away from her father and her understanding of love was about to change.

The circumstances of her birth and existence until this point notwithstanding, Juliana Valdes was kind. Because Love is who we are. It’s our default setting, only distorted over time by our experiences and how we choose to react to them. Love underpins our ability to have empathy, compassion and kindness. Juliana’s kindness is all she could offer a crying stranger one sunny afternoon in a park in México City. And the stranger reciprocated with more kindness; with care; with hugs; lots of laughter; bashful smiles; encouragement; petty fights; misunderstandings; fan and cheerleader of her “amateur” designing talent; and most importantly an ever-present companion. In the end she understood that love was not a moment, it was eternal. Love wasn’t a list of conditions either but rather unconditional. Love was ever present, in happy times and in the tough times. And that love gets you through the tough times, the fights, the misunderstandings. It allows you to forgive and receive forgiveness.

Juliana's life in México City or better said as her life with the stranger, Valentina Carvajal taught her that love involves affection, compassion, care, and self-sacrifice. And that in its most basic sense, love is the emotion felt - often indescribable and actions performed by someone concerned for the well-being of another person. Juliana's new understanding led to a single conclusion, she was love and had met love in form of Valentina Carvajal! 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. Thanks to all other writers and all the readers for the inspiration. 
> 
> What is “love” to you?


End file.
